Kozhikode
The State government is planning to add teeth to biodiversity management committees (BMC) in local bodies to make them generate income by levying fees for access to bioresources for commercial purposes under their jurisdiction through the implementation of the Access and Benefits Sharing (ABS) programme.
Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the State Biodiversity Congress that concluded here on Monday, A.V.Santhosh, Member Secretary of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board, said the government was keen on implementing the ABS programme.
The programme, which ensures fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of utilisation of bioresources, was one of the objectives of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), of which India was a part, in 1993.
The idea of ABS was cemented in the Nagoya Protocol which was adopted in 2010. The Biological Diversity Act 2002 and Rules 2004 provide for regulated access to bio resources for commercial utilisation and fair and equitable sharing of benefits in India. Local communities have nurtured genetic diversity over the years, and the Biological Diversity Act provides the legislative framework to ensure that communities benefit from the use of their genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
Many Indian states such as Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have implemented the ABS programme successfully, and they have been generating huge income from it. The income generated through ABS is supposed to be used for conservation and sustainable management of biological diversity and associated traditional knowledge.
However, even with its rich biological resources and associated traditional knowledge, Kerala has not been able to make the most of the ABS system, which it intends to correct by empowering BMCs.
“There are a few cases pending in the High Court challenging the implementation of the ABS scheme by companies that will have to pay levies. Vacating the injunction orders has proven to be a major challenge before the State in implementing ABS,” Mr. Santhosh said, adding that efforts were being made to move the cases to the National Green Tribunal for speedy redressal.
Meanwhile, the State has started sending notices to other companies who are stakeholders in the system. Mr. Santhosh said the process of strengthening BMCs is progressing fast and shall be completed in a few months.
